Professor
Alice Parker and Professor Chongwu Zhou, leaders of the study from the
University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering Ming Hsieh
Department of Electrical Engineering, have developed a carbon nanotube synapse
circuit that acts like a neuron, and could potentially be used to create a
synthetic brain in an effort to better understand brain function.

Parker
and Zhou wanted to use carbon nanotubes specifically because they
are exceptionally tiny carbon structures that can be used as semiconductors or
metallic conductors in electronic circuits.

"This
is a necessary first step in the process," said Parker. "We wanted to
answer the question: Can you build a circuit that would act like a neuron? The
next step is even more complex. How can we build structures out of these
circuits that mimic the function of the brain, which has 100 billion
neurons and 10,000 synapses per neuron?"

While
this research is in the beginning stages, the team plans to create a network of
analog circuits that act similarly to the human brain's complex connections between neurons. The next
step is to increase the plasticity in the circuits in order to make them more
life-like and functional like the human brain.

Parker
and Zhou believe the development of a network of analog circuits in a synthetic
human brain could lead to prosthetic nanotechnology that would aid in the
treatment of brain injuries. It could also lead to new auto technology that
would protect drivers in a whole new way.

A
complete synthetic brain or a functional brain area will not be completed for
decades, according to Parker. The brain's complex processes such as producing
neurons and making connections will be difficult to reproduce, but this
research is a crucial first step in that direction.

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The nastiness is just paying it forward for all of the hatred religious groups have showered upon modern society. It's repayment for the literal reversal of technological progress for 500 years of human history. It's for all of the people who were lynched by good Christians. It's for all of the people who were ostracized in the past for daring to rely on themselves rather than one book written by other humans. It's for every kid who sat in a religious education class and had to listen to a teacher try to explain why someone's sexuality can actually be wrong. It's for taking away, from every person who believes, the unending potential that every human is born with. Your beliefs have and will continue to harm numerous people and you chose to stay ignorant to it, tell me why I should be friendly?

Your post and Marty's are both delightfully ironic. Ever heard of leading by example? Ever thought that your vitriolic speech makes you look just as bad? I didn't see religious zealots bringing this stuff up, he started in on them without any evidence or prompting.

Sounds like non-religious humans are just as bad as the rest. Even without religion, human nature remains the same.

God gave us the power of choice and when you think about it, when we will create artificial intelligence, we actually forward that power of choice to the machines we are creating.

That is the miracle of creation.To blame the religious groups for everything bad that's ever happend to us as a species is like blaming a kid for being mean with animals. He simply doesn't know better.

"We are going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet. A lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis